Get to know Propeller’s world-class team in our ongoing employee spotlight. Today, we talk to Jonnie Perkins, who manages the data success team. Jonnie is based in our Sydney, Australia, office.
What do you do at Propeller?
I focus on improving the performance of the data success team in terms of data quality, turnaround times, and speed of support. The data success team is responsible for inbound support and producing survey-grade data from drone imagery and ground control in the Propeller Platform. The whole team is spread out across the globe: Manila, Sydney, and Denver. I deal with their schedules and make sure we provide 24/7 help coverage for the Platform and AeroPoints if people are out sick, and that sort of thing. If need be, I also do some processing myself and jump in to handle support.
What’s your career background?
After I finished my degree in mechatronic engineering, I worked for Rio Tinto, a global mining company, in Western Australia for three years. After some travel and another stint at Rio, I moved to Sydney and started with Propeller.
Where did you grow up?
Perth, Western Australia.
Before working at Propeller, what’s the strangest or most interesting job you’ve held?
Probably the one where I was caring for recovering drug addicts at an experimental recovery program. It really opened my eyes to some other parts of the world I knew nothing about. It makes you confront some pretty tough stuff.
What’s your favorite Propeller memory?
My favorite is probably my best and worst day at Propeller. I’d made a big mistake on the job and annoyed quite a few people, but rather than pointing fingers and bringing me down, the team gathered around and lifted me up.
Any talents, secret superpowers, or fun facts about yourself to share?
I spend a lot of my spare time doing music stuff. I grew up playing drums for 10 years and I taught myself guitar for about eight years ago. I’m live looping a lot of electronic and acoustic music at the moment, which I really enjoy.
If you could be any piece of technology, what would you be and why?
I’d be the wheel because it was a simple piece of tech that changed the whole world.
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
The ability to give myself other abilities.
Do you have an office nickname? If so, what is it and how did you get it?
Well, everyone calls me Jonnie . . . which is a nickname I gave myself when I was very small because my brother’s and sister’s names were Gregory and Melanie. I wanted mine to sound like theirs. And now, of course, they’re Greg and Mel, so what can you do?
What’s one thing you wish people understood better about your job?
I’d want people to know how outrageously well-qualified everyone on my team is. They all have geospatial degrees and experience in done surveying. They’re awesome.
Customer support is always hard, even when you’re not dealing with stuff as complex at surveying, geodesy, and photogrammetry. And, you know, in some situations even the best isn’t good enough. But even then, I’d want people to know we’ve got real experts on the case, who are working hard to solve the issues.
